Responsibility

The legendary coach John Wooden once said, "Never lie, never cheat, never steal. Don't whine, don't complain, don't make excuses". Oh, but we do so easily make excuses. The more we do it, the more it becomes a habit, and the less we learn and grow. 

Let me take you back to the first year on my high school soccer team. Before one of the first games of the season, I got a ride with a teammate who lived near me. We were going to the bus at school for an away game and I needed the ride because I did not yet have my driver's license. He was late picking me up, and we were late to the bus. Our coach was furious. Why would he be mad? I had a good reason. It wasn't my fault. He was late picking me up. 

Coach said my mistake was choosing someone unreliable to drive me. In retrospect, I knew that guy was not reliable. It was crystal clear that my coach demanded an improvement in my process. He wasn’t punishing me. He had high standards for me, and he knew that I could reach them. He expected greater attention to all decisions that could impact my performance. 

Achieving my best required a better effort. It's a remarkable experience to have someone set a new bar for you in a way that makes you want to reach it. Perhaps this is one of the reasons he went on to be recognized as the top youth soccer coach in the country. Set high standards, reward effort, never punish failure.